Prevention, Intervention & Inclusion: Harmful Sexual Behaviour and young people with additional support needs

In partnership between Supporting Offenders with Learning Disabilities (SOLD), the Centre for Youth & Criminal Justice (CYCJ), and the Scottish Transitions Forum, this free one-day conference will look at how preventative and early intervention can support young people with additional support needs who present with Harmful Sexual Behaviour (HSB).

While there is a lot of good work being done to develop new and effective ways to intervene with young people who exhibit signs of HSB, and to protect people from harm, this work is largely focused on young people in the general population. It is therefore important to ensure that young people with learning disabilities; autism; speech, language and communication needs; and/or other additional support needs are not unfairly disadvantaged or excluded, and that they have equal opportunity to benefit from preventative approaches and early intervention.

This event will aim to develop a better understanding of HSB in this context and explore the ways in which preventative and early intervention approaches should be adapted to meet the needs of young people with additional support needs. It will also build on the insights gained from a consultation event, held on February 4, 2019: Staying Safe: Exploring the needs of young people with additional support needs who experience or present with Harmful Sexual Behaviour and their families.

Speakers at the event will include Stuart Allardyce (Stop It Now! Scotland), Clare Allely (University of Salford), Beth Hannah (University of Dundee), and Jana de Villiers (Forensic Network).

Workshops will explore issues including intervention with young people and their families, early speech & language therapy intervention, one-to-one support to achieve behaviour change, relationships, accessible sexual health and parenthood education (RSHP), and the impact of online pornography. Others will be confirmed in due course. There will also be opportunity for further debate and discussion during a Q&A session.

This event is now full. If you wish to join the waiting list, please use the link below: